New Rainbow Crossing For Sydney’s Taylor Square

A new rainbow crossing will be installed in Sydney, five years after the city’s first one was controversially removed.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the new installation was a “victory” for the LGBTIQ community.

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“The news that it will be reinstated is incredibly significant on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on 24 June and a powerful acknowledgment of the importance of our LGBTQI community and history,” she said.

“Our beautiful Oxford Street rainbow crossing became a global sensation in 2013 and it was devastating when it was removed with no warning in the middle of the night.”

The new rainbow crossing, which is hoped to become a permanent fixture, will sit on the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets in the Taylor Square precinct in Darlinghurst.

The City of Sydney installed the first rainbow crossing on Oxford Street in the lead up to 2013’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras before it was controversially removed on short notice two months later by the state government, who cited safety concerns.

But an independent audit found no accidents or injuries were caused by the crossing.

Moore said the crossing will be reviewed after six months by the Roads and Maritime Services, with a goal for it to remain permanently.

“I’m excited that we are so close to achieving the outcome we have worked so hard behind the scenes to achieve — the rainbow crossing returned as a permanent pride artwork in Sydney,” she said.

“Not only will this crossing be a colourful celebration of our LGBTI community but it will also be a trial of new sensors to give pedestrians as much crossing time as possible.”

Construction on the crossing will start in October and is expected to take three months.